Globetrotting Essentials: Kate Spade Travel Guides

Much like that of a Wes Anderson film or a piece of Crane & Co. stationery, the branding on everything Kate Spade touches is pervasive to the point of making an explanation of its origin utterly unnecessary.

The fashion designer’s knack for capturing the essence of clucky, plucky smart-girl-chic is unwavering, and the depth of her offerings has deepened over the years as she’s risen from a purse-maker to a tastemaker the world over. Her signature boldness presented in super-symmetrical, borderline-OCD perfection is infectious with its tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.

“Eat Cake for Breakfast,” screams a tote bag from her spring 2012 line. “Rock the Casbah,” shouts another. “Twirl,” commands the name of her fragrance. Her blog, social media presence and music mixes have become daily staples for whimsical girly-girls everywhere, and her new series of travel guides, released this May, are likely destined for the same fate.

Produced in tandem with Fathom (an upscale travel site for those whose travel choices are dictated “less by price and more by sensibility” — to wit, a sample headline: “Let’s Fly to Denmark for Dinner”), the guides are available for five destinations: New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Tahiti.

Self-described as “a charming mix of offbeat recommendations, playful experiences, visual packing ideas, practical trip-planning advice, and fresh design,” Spade and Fathom explain the series’ first class appeal: “It’s for those who tour the world spontaneously and deliberately, who seek out the new while appreciating the iconic, and who want to look good while doing it.”

The guides, which include the categories sleep, eat, drink, shop, explore, itinerary, packing list, and cheat sheet, are available for perusal in the Kate Spade shop online.